DeLay Treated for Fatigue Connected to Heart Condition
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) was treated by doctors at a hospital today after experiencing “fatigue” related to a previously diagnosed heart condition.
In a statement released by DeLay’s office, Capt. Michael Curran, the head of cardiology at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., said: “Upon experiencing minor fatigue, Congressman DeLay went to the medical professionals on hand at the Capitol. They in turn recommended he seek further medical observation at Bethesda Naval Hospital.
“Mr. DeLay has a pre-existing common arrhythmia — a condition which many Americans have. Mr. DeLay’s personal doctor in Texas has been monitoring this common and treatable condition for years. After completing a series of tests and successful treatment of the arrhythmia, I discharged Mr. DeLay so he could return to his residence and rest in comfort for the remainder of the day.”
The statement added that DeLay plans to attend his previously scheduled events this weekend, including a fundraiser for Rep. Phil Gingrey (R) in Georgia and an appearance at the Club for Growth’s annual meeting in Florida. A DeLay aide said that Curran told the Majority Leader his fatigue was not stress-related.
The 57-year-old DeLay’s irregular heartbeat, or atrial fibrillation, was first diagnosed in 2000, when he visited the Capitol’s Office of the Attending Physician after feeling tired for an extended period of time. He then spent a day at Bethesda Naval Hospital for treatment.
According to the American Heart Association, as many as 2.2 million Americans suffer from atrial fibrillation.